The Standard Model (SM) of particle physics fundamentally relies on the existence of the Higgs boson. This massive particle is a relic of the underlying and hidden Higgs field, whose transformation into the Higgs boson provides mass to weak bosons and all massive fermions in the SM. This particle has been long-sought and finally using data from proton-proton collisions at the LHC, CMS and ATLAS experiments have discovered a particle which is compatible with the SM Higgs boson. Presented here is the develeopment of one of the discovery channels, H [right arrow] [gamma][gamma], and the final H [right arrow] [gamma][gamma] analysis and results using the full luminosity of the LHC Run 1 dataset ~25 fb−1 at 7 or 8 TeV center of mass energy. The observed (expected) significance of this di-photon excess in the final analysis is 5.7[sigma] (5.2[sigma]) with a measured signal strength of [sigma][sigma]SM = 1.14+0̇·26/−0·23. The mass of this Higgs boson is not predicted by the SM. Using the H [right arrow] [gamma][gamma] channel, Mh is measured to be 124.70+0̇·35/+0̇·34 GeV. Other measured quantities are presented including the signal strength modifiers of different production mechanisms and spin hypothesis tests between spin-0 and spin-2 models. Searches for this Higgs boson decaying to the di-muon and di-electron states are presented. No excess is observed and universal lepton decays of this particle are therefore ruled out, supporting the SM Higgs boson interpretation. In addition, relevant searches, observations and measurements from CMS that characterize this particle are presented.

A fascinating tour of particle physics from Nobel Prize winner Leon Lederman. At the root of particle physics is an invincible sense of curiosity. Leon Lederman embraces this spirit of inquiry as he moves from the Greeks' earliest scientific observations to Einstein and beyond to chart this unique arm of scientific study. His survey concludes with the Higgs boson, nicknamed the God Particle, which scientists hypothesize will help unlock the last secrets of the subatomic universe, quarks and all--it's the dogged pursuit of this almost mystical entity that inspires Lederman's witty and accessible history.

This first open access volume of the handbook series contains articles on the standard model of particle physics, both from the theoretical and experimental perspective. It also covers related topics, such as heavy-ion physics, neutrino physics and searches for new physics beyond the standard model. A joint CERN-Springer initiative, the "Particle Physics Reference Library" provides revised and updated contributions based on previously published material in the well-known Landolt-Boernstein series on particle physics, accelerators and detectors (volumes 21A, B1,B2,C), which took stock of the field approximately one decade ago. Central to this new initiative is publication under full open access

The book gives a quite complete and up-to-date picture of the Standard Theory with an historical perspective, with a collection of articles written by some of the protagonists of present particle physics. The theoretical developments are described together with the most up-to-date experimental tests, including the discovery of the Higgs Boson and the measurement of its mass as well as the most precise measurements of the top mass, giving the reader a complete description of our present understanding of particle physics.

The recent observation of the Higgs boson has been hailed as the scientific discovery of the century and led to the 2013 Nobel Prize in physics. This book describes the detailed science behind the decades-long search for this elusive particle at the Large Electron Positron Collider at CERN and at the Tevatron at Fermilab and its subsequent discovery and characterization at the Large Hadron Collider at CERN. Written by physicists who played leading roles in this epic search and discovery, this book is an authoritative and pedagogical exposition of the portrait of the Higgs boson that has emerged from a large number of experimental measurements. As the first of its kind, this book should be of interest to graduate students and researchers in particle physics.